


Rain Like Starlight

by featheredtips



Category: One Piece
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, abuse of metaphors and symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-28 07:30:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11413149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/featheredtips/pseuds/featheredtips
Summary: They love the same way all beautiful, dangerous, wild things do.





	Rain Like Starlight

* * *

 

 

This is the way they fall.

 

* * *

 

 

Law falls for Luffy the way people fall in love with the first spring rain after a bitter winter.

It happens all at once, irritation segueing into a reluctant fondness, followed by an abrupt realisation of _Oh, so this is what it's about._

Law doesn't crave emotional suicide the way his track record might suggest, so his love becomes a thing locked away in the tightness of his chest. He thinks it might fester into something horrific, knows that longing distorts even the best intentions. Nonetheless, he buries the ache with a gentle but firm hand, soothes it with the light in Luffy's eyes every time he says _Torao_ and Law takes a second longer to respond with something that isn't _yes, anything, whatever you want._

Because he knows.

Because the simple truth of the matter is that he can't bottle up the seas or command the skies for a boy who already holds the world in the palm of a careless hand.

Law is busy enough as it is retaining his hold on the one finger he's wrapped around like so much string. He catches himself on occasion wishing he'll see red where it matters, a binding line of eternity, but he knows and understands greed, is not blind to the way that Luffy hoards and takes and makes everything his. 

That's not quite how it works for someone like Law. 

Law who is selfish and jealous, who has in his chest a feeling growing so large that the very oceans themselves will tremble at the idea of containing its swell.

So he says _sure_ and hums vague agreement to some of Luffy's ideas, doesn't pull away when Luffy clasps his wrist and drags them to where _fireworks are the prettiest, Torao._ He doesn't twine their fingers together the way he wants to either, contenting himself with fleeting glances towards the bursts of colour across Luffy's face instead. 

Sometimes, Luffy quiets when they're alone away from their crews, his presence distilled into a white-hot point of focus burning at Law's side, and Law thinks _mine_ before he can stop himself. 

A year, maybe two, passes this way.

The feeling doesn't decay into anything ugly that insults its subject. It does, however, become an answering stronghold of warmth that starts from the centre of him, spiralling into a supernova incapable of doing anything but burn out willingly to the ebb and flow of someone else’s whims.

When he’s in the company of Luffy and what’s Luffy’s, Law is meticulous in ensuring that no one notices anything amiss. It doesn’t even require pretence whenever there’s not much else to do but bask in good food and company while the Straw Hats size up their latest adversary.

Law is free to come and go as he wishes, but there’s less of a rush to get anywhere now that his demons have been put to rest and being allied captain means being able to tug Luffy over with nothing but a murmured _Mugiwara-ya_. Luffy’s easy affection means that Law gets to relish in the simple press of skin to skin in the instant before he moves away.   

Law becomes damningly sure that distance makes hearts fonder when they part.

The adage doesn’t cover singularity in its execution, nor the restlessness that it brings, but Law feels their bite like tangible fangs closing around his neck in a chokehold. The image of Luffy leaning over the rail with the promise of _see you soon_ is seared into Law’s memory like a hot brand.

They continue on their own journeys, Luffy still bright-eyed and fixed on his prize, but it is then that Law begins to think he may have other destinations in mind, none of which he can see a port to. 

Still, he is impeccable in the way that he conducts himself back on-board the Tang, because he knows himself and he won’t condone pining. There’s no industry nor purpose to it, and he’s happy, in part, to be in the sole company of those who are his.

Unfortunately, crew is family and petty things like logic, appearances, and then some, never apply. They’ve had too many years of capitulating to his moods to let Law hold himself together over something like this. He comes to this awareness approximately two days into Bepo steering them in the direction of the Thousand Sunny.

The word he has with his long-time friend is syllabled into _choice_ and _know better_. Because of their history, Bepo is a solid, looming wall before the control panel, eyes as kind as when they’d first met but not so much apologetic as much as they say _with all due respect, Captain_.

Law can’t bring himself to dispute their course after that.  

 

 

* * *

 

 

Luffy falls in love with Law the way he falls in love with everything else— abruptly and wholly.

He does it with the same certainty he has for things like Zoro’s hair being green and Nami smelling like the mikan she prunes every morning. So, just like that, he thinks: _Torao looks happy to see me_ and falls for the slight curve to Law’s mouth when he shambles himself onto the Sunny moments before the Polar Tang surfaces inches away from collision.

Luffy knows he’s all grins despite Nami’s shriek of bloody murder, because the giddy feeling building up from his toes is anticipation the likes that battle and adventure have always given him.

Now, they’re here because _Law is here_ and that’s what he’ll be like, what he _is_ to Luffy.

The wind whistles in his ears like the calling of paradise birds from back home when he rockets himself straight at Law who catches him with a soft _oof_ but doesn’t stagger beyond one bracing step. Luffy wonders if there’s any way to convey the thrill that shoots through him when he feels long, tattooed fingers pressing Luffy’s straw hat to his head, holding it safe, holding it like Law _knows_.

Growing up around bandits and pirates and people like Jii-chan, Sabo, and Ace means that Luffy knows where kisses go.

He doesn’t miss the look Law throws him askance after he turns his cheek so that Luffy’s advances graze his jaw instead. Law says _Mugiwara-ya_ like an apology and sets him down like fragile glass, pulling away with regret in the touch he skims across Luffy’s arm.

Luffy allows him the distance, returns the look with a steady one of his own.

He doesn’t read into or think about the strange expression that flits across Law’s face, only sees what needs to be seen. What he gleans has him breaking into a smile that begins with _Torao_ and ends with the knuckles he sweeps lightly across Law’s cheekbone, leaning up but not too far into the space that Law’s kept for himself.

Law is one of the bravest people Luffy’s ever met.

Yet, somehow, Luffy doesn’t think he’s ever seen Law look so terrified as when he startles backward at the touch, going pale and tight-jawed in a way he didn’t even do when Doflamingo and Kaido were breathing death in his face.

All that achieves is the warmth that erupts in Luffy’s gut and the sudden clarity that alights upon: _Ah, I want him_. This is followed by the same earlier certainty, though this time tempered with _He wants me too_.

He pulls away at Usopp’s nervous calls to not jeopardise tenuous alliances, but doesn’t turn for reassurance, because he knows he can more than trust Law with his back.

The sharp exhale he hears ties happy knots in his stomach that don’t diminish even when Zoro grimaces at him and Sanji mirrors that with a _how fucking troublesome can you get_. He carries the feeling with him, buoyant and building into something fierce but soft at the edges, when Robin asks _Are you sure_? over the new lilting tones of Brook’s latest piece at the welcome party.

He nods, but she’s already smiling like she’s always known his answer.

Across the table, Law’s gaze is electric.

Law is one of the bravest people Luffy’s ever met so, naturally, it’s Law who makes the first move after Luffy’s grand display on-deck. He holds out his last onigiri, offering it with a quiet _Mugiwara-ya_ that Luffy sees more than hears over the din of their crews’ merrymaking.

Luffy takes it off Law’s hands with his teeth, stretching his neck over to reach it, the crown of his head bumping against Law’s chest. He knows he doesn’t imagine the light press of Law’s fingertips curled under his chin or the way grey eyes darken when they draw apart.

Luffy beams at Nami’s aspirated _ugh_ next to him and stuffs both hands into the meat pie to his right. He gets a beating for it, but the pie is delicious— almost as good as the small, private smile that Law hides behind a tankard of ale.

That night, Law’s waiting for him on the deck of the Polar Tang, armed with a tumbler that smells like Sanji’s coffee and an expression of wry expectancy. Luffy goes over to him in a petulant sulk when Law beckons, foiled in his intention of breaking into the submarine and hunting down its captain’s room.

Luffy has many favourite things, one of which is the way Law’s voice is like a physical drag across skin, low enough that there’s a shadow of gravel in it, but rounded and cultured the same way Robin’s is when she’s telling them stories.

He doesn’t, however, always like what Law has to say.

Things like _bad idea,_ and _do you even_ that make it sound like Luffy doesn’t know what he wants because he _does_.

So he snorts at Law and takes the incredulous pause that causes to push right up into Law’s space and grab two fistfuls of Law’s shirt to haul Law closer to eye level. In no uncertain terms, he tells Law that there’s no such thing as a bad idea and _of course I do, Torao is an idiot_. He punctuates that with a shake for emphasis, then a kiss for good measure to stop whatever argument Law’s got prepared for him.

Law’s response is to sigh explosively against his lips, then Law does something underhanded to reverse their positions.

Annoyance shoots through Luffy in tandem with an accompanying rush of heat when Law’s hand finds the small of his back and the other tilts Luffy’s head, muffling his complaint of _Torao_ by sliding their mouths together.

When they part, Luffy reads starlight in the dark pools of Law’s eyes and the promise of better things to come in the exasperated furrow of his brow. He snickers when Law’s arms go tight around him, bracing his weight as Luffy wraps limbs around him and buries his face into the side of Law’s neck.

In the grumbled chastise of _Luffy-ya_ , he hears what Law’s gaze and touch convey and reciprocates, once again, with the press of his mouth to Law’s.

 

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Pretty words that were on my mind on a June day, oddly insistent on being written-- a rare occurrence as it is, so I couldn't refuse. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Thank you for dropping by and staying on till the end. All comments are very welcome! :D


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